Beat butter, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl with mixer on low speed 1 minute or until well blended. Add eggs; beat 2 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla (batter may look curdled), then flour just until blended.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining batter. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting and decorating.Each recipe makes 24 cupcakes. If you have two 12-cup muffin pans, you can bake them side by side on the middle rack of your oven if space permits.

Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored covered at room temperature up to a day, or frozen in an airtight container up to a month. Thaw before frosting. Once frosted and chilled, they can be refrigerated, very loosely covered, up to 2 days.

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